General Aviation Textron Aviation celebrates 50-year anniversary of Citation family

Textron Aviation has announced that its Cessna Citation Family celebrate its 50 years anniversary this week. This is a huge milestone for the company and underlines the presence the family had in the general aviation sector in the last decades.

50 years ago, the Cessna Citation 500 took off to its inaugural flight. Today, more than 7,500 aircraft have been delivered to customers across the world. 35 million flight hours have been flown with Cessna Citation aircraft.

Ron Draper, president and CEO of Textron Aviation commented: “From that first Citation flight 50 years ago and through every Citation model produced since, our business jet programs are deeply rooted in the combined efforts of our employees, our suppliers and our customers [...] Today’s range of Citations – from the entry level Citation M2 up through the Citation Longitude – incorporates our unwavering commitment to value-added innovation, design and production excellence and unrivalled customer support.”

Textron Aviation has become the market leader for producing single and twin-engine general aviation aircraft and the Citation was a vital part in this achievement.  In October 1968, the Fanjet 500 made its debut, nearly a year later, in September 1969, the first Citation 500 prototype made its first flight in Wichita.

Since then, the Cessna stands for advanced operational capability and efficiency and more progressive technology found its way into the aircraft over the years.

“The same vision that led to the creation of the original Citation 50 years ago still guides us today,” Draper said. “We are building on our history as an industry leader and investing in the future to continue to exceed customer expectations.”

The current Citation business jet family consists of seven aircraft models in total. The aircraft can accommodate between 7 and 12 passengers. Cessna sells the Citation M2, Citation CJ3+, CJ4, Citation XLS+, Citation Sovereign+, Citation Latitude and Citation Longitude.

The Citation Longitude is the latest aircraft in the product portfolio. It was designed to elevate passenger expectations in the super-midsize class, stated Textron Aviation. It features a 6-foot tall flat-door cabin, which also has been redesigned.

Textron Aviation is a leading aviation authority that is home to the Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker brands. The five main businesses of the company are producing business jets, general aviation and special mission aircraft, high performance piston aircraft and military trainer.

The company has delivered more than 250,000 aircraft in over 170 countries.